Great Song Super Scholar

Chapter 191

From a paper bag Fanning poured out a dozen small briquettes, each the size of a walnut.

"what is this?"

Curious, Wei Qing picked up a briquette and looked at it, and said in surprise, "This is a charcoal sphere!"

"What do you think, old man, use charcoal balls to burn this stove?" Fan Ning pointed to the stove and smiled.

Wei Qing has decades of life experience. He looked at the stove and nodded repeatedly, "It's very suitable. It's much better than burning coal, but how is it made?"

Fan Ning smiled slightly and said, "It's actually very simple. Mix charcoal powder and yellow mud at a ratio of four to one, add a small amount of sulfur, add water and stir, then knead into small balls, and dry them in the sun."

"It's that simple?"

"It's that simple, but after pinching it, it's best to pierce a few small holes with chopsticks on it for easy burning."

Wei Qing slapped his forehead. He didn't expect such a simple-to-use thing. With this charcoal ball, he would not have to chop firewood in the future.

At this time, someone shouted outside: "The charcoal powder is here, is there anyone?"

"coming!"

Fan Ning quickly got up and ran out, and Wei Qing also hurriedly followed.

A donkey cart came outside, pulling a cart full of pulverized coal. The driver said to Fan Ning, "Young official, this is what you bought. Where do you think it is unloaded?"

Fan Ning smiled and said, "Old man, please point me to a place to unload the goods!"

Wei Qing suddenly understood, he was grateful and helpless, so he had to open the courtyard door quickly, "Let's unload it in the courtyard!"

"Okay! Make room for me a moment, and I'll pull the donkey cart in."

Fan Ning stepped aside, and the coachman took the donkey into the yard, unloaded the load with a shovel, and quickly unloaded all the coal powder from the cart.

Fan Ning took out three hundred Wen and gave it to the coachman. The coachman bowed his hands to Fan Ning and left with the ox cart.

Fan Ning smiled at Wei Qing: "A car of charcoal costs two yuan, but a car of charcoal powder only costs three hundred yuan. If you buy ten cars at a time, it is even cheaper. It only costs two hundred yuan. You can follow what I taught you. The method is to make charcoal balls, and at the same time order a stove to make samples for everyone. It is better to use a donkey cart, and then go to the residential area in the city to buy it. This is cheaper and more convenient than firewood and charcoal, and someone will definitely buy it.”

"I know, there is a lot of yellow mud in the ground, I just dig some."

Fanning remembered something again and asked, "How much charcoal is there in the old man's house?"

"It's all old charcoal accumulated in the past, and there are probably more than a thousand catties."

"Send your charcoal to the city and sell it to Zhulou. Go to Zhulou's shop on Panlou Street. I've agreed with the owner. They want all the charcoal from my husband. They will buy it at the market price, and you will use the money. Make capital, and sell it as charcoal balls in the future, so you don’t need to chop firewood or burn charcoal.”

The old man was so moved that he bowed to Fan Ning again and again, sobbing and crying, "How can the little old man repay the great kindness of the little official?"

Fan Ning smiled slightly and said: "My old man testified for me and saved me from being ruined. How can I not repay the kindness of a big man, and the spring will repay the kindness of a man, so I don't have to mind too much."

Everyone only took a sip of hot tea, then boarded the ox cart and left. After entering the city, everyone separated. Su Liang and Cheng brothers and sisters went to Jiucaomen Wazi for dinner, and Li Dashou went back to his residence to continue studying hard.

Fan Ning came to Pang Ji's mansion. Three years ago, he had been there once, and he still had a vague impression of the address of Pang Ji's mansion.

Fan Ning remembered that Pang Ji's mansion was located in the old Songmen area, covering an area of ​​nearly [-] mu, and it was the largest house in the old Songmen area. When mentioning Pang Taishi's mansion in the Old Songmen area, almost everyone knew about it.

Under the guidance of passers-by, Fan Ning quickly found Pang Taishi's Mansion, which was exactly the same as the memory three years ago, with eighteen floors and two steps, the foundation alone was five feet high, and there were two majestic granite towns on both sides. House lion.

The door is several feet high, tall and gorgeous, with flying eaves and brackets, with extraordinary momentum, and a dismounting sign is placed under the steps. The common people and bureaucrats who pass here must dismount and walk to show respect for the Taishi Mansion.

There are two burly guards with knives standing on the left and right sides of the gate, wearing special leather armor, they look extraordinarily imposing, just like the four King Kongs at both ends of the gate of the temple.

Fan Ning stepped forward and saluted with fists in his hands, please tell the Grand Master that Fan Ning, a junior from Pingjiang Mansion, came to visit and he knew about me.

The four vajras with swords ignored him, and a doorman walked out from the door, looked Fan Ning up and down, "Can you make an appointment with the grand master?"

Fan Ning shook his head, "There is no appointment, but he knows me very well, you just report it."

The doorman was skeptical, but still said to Fan Ning: "Wait a moment, I will report it for you!"

The door turned and hurried away.

Fan Ning waited patiently at the door. After a while, a thirteen or fourteen-year-old boy came out from the door, cupped his hands and said to Fan Ning, "Your Excellency is Fan Ning?"

Fan Ning hurriedly replied, "Exactly!"

The boy nodded, "My name is Pang Gongsun, Grand Master Pang is my grandfather."

Fanning remembered, and said with a smile, "We should have met."

"Saw it on my grandfather's birthday three years ago."

A smile appeared on the corner of Pang Gongsun's mouth, "Please follow me!"

Fan Ning followed Pang Gongsun into the mansion.

Although Pang Ji held a high official position, he did not have many descendants. He had two sons, the youngest son died of illness when he was underage, leaving only the eldest son Pang Yuanying, who had only one grandson. This single seedling was very much loved by his grandfather.

Although Pang Gongsun is only one year older than Fan Ning, he is very experienced in dealing with people. He often receives some visitors for his grandfather, and the guests unanimously praised him for his gentleness, obedience, and early maturity.

"How is Fan Xiandi preparing for the imperial examination?"

While walking, Pang Gongsun asked with a smile, he will also take the provincial examination for boys this year, so naturally he is very concerned about Fan Ning's situation.

Fan Ning also said with a smile: "I always feel that I am not prepared enough and that I am too far behind. The closer I get to the imperial examination, the more scared I become, and I almost can't help but run back."

Pang Gongsun chuckled, "If Brother Fan Xian fled back, wouldn't it be a big joke in the imperial examination?"

"In order not to be passed on through the ages, no matter how scared you are, you can only bite the bullet and take the exam. Once you finish the exam, you will immediately flee back to your hometown!"

"My brother's talk is very interesting!"

Soon Pang Gongsun brought Fan Ning to his grandfather's outer study, and he went to the door to report, "Grandfather, Fan Shaolang is here!"

"Please come in!" Pang Ji's cheerful voice came from the room.

Fan Ning walked into the study room, only to feel that the room was as warm as spring, and the charcoal basin was burning vigorously. Pang Ji was wearing a white Zen robe and a small cap, leaning on a Zen bed to read a book, with a very leisurely expression.

Fan Ning hurriedly stepped forward and bowed, "Student Fan Ning, please meet Grand Master Pang!"

Pang Ji smiled slightly, and said to his eldest grandson, "Bring an embroidered pier to Fan Shaolang!"

Pang Gongsun brought an embroidered pier from the back room and placed it beside Fan Ning. He immediately stood behind his grandfather with his hands down, without saying a word.

Pang Ji waved his hand, "Please sit down!"

"Thank you grand master for sitting down!"

Fanning sat down when a serving girl brought him a bowl of tea.

Fan Ning took the tea and put it on the small table next to him, bowed slightly and said, "The student is here to thank the grand master for his righteousness and to wash away the grievances of the student!"

"Do you think I'm clearing up your grievances?" Pang Ji glanced at him and said indifferently.

Fan Ning was still very careful with this Pang Ji. This person was both good and evil, and he put his own interests first. He was not a revolutionary himself, so he could only be regarded as neutral.

It's just that the current conservative faction is powerful and has many hills, while the reformist faction lacks leading figures. Only Wen Yanbo is left struggling to support it.

In order to gain the support of the reformers, Pang Ji acted open-minded, but it did not mean that he supported Fan Zhongyan's reforms.

Once the reformists gain the upper hand, he will turn his guns and aim at the reformists. From his disciple Sima Guang, he can see his position.

So Fan Ning was very careful with Pang Ji, and would not make jokes like Ouyang Xiu.

Fan Ning understood what the other party meant, he bowed slightly and said, "No matter what Grand Master Pang's original intentions are, at least the Grand Master's position is fair. For this alone, the students are very grateful."

Pang Ji knew that what Fan Ning said was from the bottom of his heart, if he hadn't been upholding justice, Song You would definitely have favored Zhang Yaozuo.

He smiled slightly and said: "You are also very powerful, you have been holding back until the last moment, and you fought back and cut Lu Ji off the horse. If I guessed correctly, you are here to inquire about the news!"

"If the grand master is willing to tell the students some news, the students will be grateful, but the students still want to thank the grand master for upholding justice."

Fan Ning took out a mountain-shaped pen holder carved from Tianhuang stone and put it on the table, "This piece of Tianhuang stone is only worth a few hundred yuan, and the carving is only a few pennies, but it is auspicious. It is a little kindness from the younger generation. Grand Master please accept it!"

(End of this chapter)